The present invention relates to a juvenile vehicle seat, and particularly, to a juvenile vehicle seat adapted to be mounted in a vehicle seat using the lap and shoulder belts of the vehicle.
Juvenile vehicle seat systems are used to secure young children safely within a vehicle. Often, juvenile vehicle seat systems are mounted to the vehicle seat using the lap belt and shoulder belt associated with the vehicle. Often, the vehicle lap and shoulder belt will also be directed around the juvenile vehicle seat in such a fashion that the shoulder and lap belt provide restraint for the juvenile seated inside the juvenile vehicle seat.
According to the invention, a juvenile vehicle seat includes a seat shell formed to include a seat portion having a back edge and a back- support portion coupled to the back edge. The back-support portion has a perimeter and a plurality of tabs that extend from a first side of the perimeter. The tabs cooperate with the perimeter to form channels adapted to receive a shoulder portion of a seat belt.
In preferred embodiments, a second plurality of tabs may be provided on a second side of the perimeter for accommodation of the juvenile vehicle seat on either side of the vehicle. A child positioned in the juvenile vehicle seat is secured using the seat belt of the vehicle, placing the shoulder portion of the seat belt in a selected one of the channels, such that the shoulder portion of the tab rests on the top of the shoulder of the child. A fabric is arranged to cover a portion of the seat shell and formed to expose the plurality of tabs such that the fabric does not interfere with the cooperation of the tabs and seat belt to retain the seat in a fixed position ion a vehicle seat.
Additional features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.